Gierkink's preview: Ontario Derby pivotal for Coltimus Prime
Is 3-year-old championship on the line?
If Prince of Wales Stakes winner Coltimus Prime is to have any chance of garnering this year’s Sovereign Award for Canadian male champion 3-year-old, he must beat Ami’s Holiday on the square in Sunday’s Grade 3 Ontario Derby.
Ami’s Holiday (5-2) is the leader of the division, off a victory in the Breeders’ Stakes and placings in each of the other two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown. He was second here in the $1 million Queen’s Plate and a troubled third in the Prince of Wales, which was run on dirt at Fort Erie.
Coltimus Prime (2-1) led throughout the Wales, and figures to give it another speed try under Eurico Da Silva, who won five races on Saturday. There isn’t another regular front-runner in the lineup, although Freitag could give him a tussle on the engine.
Other contenders in the nine-furlong Ontario Derby include Jose Sea View (15-1) and Lunar Rover (7-2), who received an inflated 100 Beyer while graduating by nearly 10 lengths over a muddy Saratoga strip last out July 27.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Lunar Rover’s Saratoga-based trainer, James Bond, is 3 for 38 (8 percent) at Woodbine over the past five years, with a return on investment of 55 cents. He is 0 for 7 here in graded stakes during that time.
Picozza (8-1), a Saratoga shipper trained by Todd Pletcher, ran hot and cold in his last few in allowance company on grass. His lone synthetic track excursion was a commendable second to Medal Count in the Grade 3 Transylvania over Keeneland’s Polytrack in April.
Three turf races on tap
There is rain in the forecast for Sunday, but with the rail out in lane 5, it would take a lot of precipitation for the three turf events on the card to be moved to Polytrack.
Cito is a juicy 10-1 on the morning line in the 10th, a nine-furlong test for older Ontario-sired maidens. Cito prevailed in a three-way pace battle before fading late to fourth when he stretched out on grass in his second career start Aug. 31. With more forward progress, he could break through here, regardless of the surface.
Another Bid (3-1) finished either second or third in each of his last seven outings, and should be played accordingly in exotics.
Endogeny (4-1) is another logical prospect for the bottom of vertical wagers. Like Another Bid, he can handle either local surface.
Others who could make their presence felt are Milwaukee Flash (9-2), Winning Shot (6-1), and Gambolino (8-1), who deserves another chance on grass.
Jackpot Hi 5 back at $0
Following several months of carryovers, the Jackpot Hi 5 was won outright on Saturday, returning slightly more than $502,000. The winning ticket was sold in the United States.
Horse to watch
SHOWING TRUE
Trainer: Brandon Greer
Last race: Sept. 19, 9th
Finish: 5th by 4 1/2
Beyer: 46
She awaited room on the far turn and in the stretch before closing belatedly in an $8,000 conditioned-claiming route. She was previously second at the same level, when she was also ridden by the live bug Nick Webb, and should break through by the end of the meet.